In this video:

SecureKey CIO Andre Boysen talks about the digital identity challenge consumers face and demonstrates how IBM Blockchain and SecureKey can help meet those challenges by creating a digital identity and attribute sharing network which allows users to absolutely control who has access to their digital information, and how much, when, and where that information is shared.

The public proof of private secrets model

To do this, the SecureKey approach uses the public proof of private secrets blockchain topology in which no personally identifiable data is included in the chain. In this model, no organization in the system can see information unless the user requests it. The user also has control over how much and which parts of the information may be shared – he can choose to share only enough data to complete the transaction.

Privacy by Design

This use of blockchain follows the Privacy by Design concept, an approach to systems engineering which takes privacy into account throughout the engineering process. The basic principle is to enable service without having to transfer control of the data from the owner to the system. Some examples of this include the DHCP protocol, some features in GPS in which the device location is not leaked to access services, and using the zero=knowledge proof to keep from leaking IoT device identifiers.

Privacy by Design is not about data protection; it is about designing so the data doesn’t need protection.

Privacy by Design can be characterized by considering privacy as “security from the one-stakeholder perspective.” Principles include:

Be proactive not reactive, preventative not remedial

Privacy is the default

Privacy must be embedded into design

Ensure full functionality that is positive-sum, not zero-sum

Build end-to-end security with full lifecycle protection

The system must be and remain visible and transparent

Have respect for user privacy; it should always be user-centric

The real-world applications

SecureKey and IBM Blockchain have already brought the first ever digital identity network together in Canada with companies such as Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Desjardins Group, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, and TD Bank. The solution is built with IBM Blockchain atop the Linux Foundation®’s open source Hyperledger® Fabric™ and enables a scalable group of individuals and institutions to quickly board the highly secured network with minimal operational effort.